Lathe for turning lasts or the like



Nov. 12, 194.6. A. D. LANDEIRS ETAL 2,411,135

LATHE FOR TURNING LASTS OR THE LIKE FiledJuly 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Med cHZi'onD.La22dez s,

f y m Nov. 12, 1946.

A. D. LANDERS EI'AL 2,411,135 LATHE FOR TURNING LASTS OR THE LIKE Filed Jul-y27 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 12, 1946 LATHE FOR TURNING LASTS OR THE LIKE Alton D. Landers and Fred H. Lindsay, Brockton, Mass., assignors to Woodard & Wright Last (30.,

East Bridgewater, Mass., a corporation of Massachusctts Application July 27, 1944, Serial No. 546,777

4 Claims. 1

Our present invention relates to improvements in last turning or like lathes and particularly to the drive for the swing frame and the controls therefor. This application is a continuation-inpart of our co-pending application, Serial No. 424,742, filed December 29, 1941, which has now matured into Letters Patent No. 2,354,689, dated August 1, 1944.

In such lathes, the swing frame rotatably supports the model and the block to beturned and the drive for the model and block includes shafts and belting from the source of power common to other lathe drives. Disadvantages of such a drive relate both to economy in operation and efficiency in use.

In accordance with our invention, we provide the swingframe with a drive consisting of an electric motor mounted on the swing frame driving the rotatable supports for the model and the work to be turned through any suitable gear reduction unit. We provide control means to close the circuit to the motor when the swing frame is swung between predetermined inoperative positions close to or remote from the axis of the model wheel.

This control includes a brake operable whenever the swing frame is in its outward inoperative position to stop the rotation of the motor and the rotatable supports for the model and the work to be turned when the power source is disconnected therefrom.

Our invention makes possible a simple and compact swing frame drive ensuring accuracy of work, economy in operation and contributes both to simplicity and economy in the construction and operation of lathes in accordance with our invention.

In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated our invention as embodied in a last turning lathe. While the details of construction of the lathe itself is unimportant to the present invention, sufiicient detail has been shown to permit the novel features and advantages of our invention to be readily understood.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of alast turning lathe in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 shows the lathe of Fig. 1 in end view, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the lathe.

The lathe shown in the drawings consists of a bed 5 supported in a frame establishing lugs 6 and an overhead support I to which the swing frame 8 is pivotally connected as at 9.

The lathe bed 5 has parallel ways Ill to slidably support the carriage H for the model wheel I2 and the carriage l3 in which is journalled the shaft M for the cutter head IS. The carriage I3 also supports the motor l6 connected to the shaft 14 by belting H to drive the cutter head.

The lathe is conventional in that the carriages "I I and 13 are interconnected by adjustable linkage so that equal, greater, or lesser movement of the carriage ll results on movement of the carriage I3. As the linkage by which such "grading is accomplished is conventional, we have shown onlythe lever 18 fulcrumed as at [9 as indicative of such mechanism.

The carriages II and I3 are driven by a motor 20 having a belted connection 2| with a worm 22 journalled in the frame 5. The worm .22 meshes with a gear 23 on a shaft 24 journalled in the frame 5 and which has a, gear 25 meshing with a rack 26 carried by the carriage l3 (see Fig. 2). l

The swing frame 8 has conventional rotatable model supports 21 and 28 and similar rotatable supports 2'9 and 30 to support the work to be turned. The supports 21 and 29 include gears 3| and 32 meshing with gears 33 and 34 on the drive shaft 35 journalled in the swing frame 8.

In accordance with our present invention, we mount an electric motor 36 on the swing frame 8, the circuit 31 to which includes a switch 38 mounted on the overhead support I. The drive for the shaft 35 may conveniently consist of a worm 39, the pulley 40 of which is connected to the motor pulley 4| by a belt 42. The worm 39 meshes with a gear 43 fast on the drive shaft 35.

When the lathe is in use, the rotating model supported in the swing frame 8 engages with the advancin model wheel l2 thereby causing the work to be turned to be spaced correspondingly with respect to the advancing cutter head l5 so that the work will be shaped similarly to the model. It has been the practice to provide a weight to control the swinging of the swing frame to ensure the constant contact of the model with the model wheel.

In accordance with our invention, we control the swinging of the frame 8 by connecting the bottom of the frame 8 to a crank 44 journalled in the lathe frame by a link 45. The crank shaft 46 has a pair of collars 41 to which the weight 4B is eccentrically pivoted so that its influence on the swing frame is constant as the swing frame 8 swings towards or away from the vertical.

On the overhead support I, we mount a guide 49 to slidably receive one end of the control memher 50, the other end of which is pivotally connected as at 5| to the swing frame 8 above the motor 36. The member 50 controls the switch 38. As here shown, the switch 38 has a control arm 52 disposed to be actuated by either of the cam surfaces 53 with which the control member 50 is formed. Preferably, the cam surfaces 53 are spaced to actuate the switch 38 to open the circuit to the motor 36 when the swing frame is in predetermined inoperative position closely ad-' jacent or remote from the model wheel 12 and the cutter head l5.

Adjustably clamped as at '54 'to the control member 50 is a bracket 55 having an outwardly disposed flange 56. We attach a brake element 51 to the flange 56 by bo1ts 58 with the brake element 5'! being resiliently backed by springs 59. The brake element is disposed to engage with the motor pulley 4 I :when the swing frame 8 is swung into its outward inoperative position to brake the drive for the model and the workwhen the circuit 31 to the motor 36 is opened.

By this construction, we provide for increased efficiency and economy in the operation of lathes. This is due to the use of a separate motor mounted on the swing frame, the controls therefor, and the mounting of the weight to control the swing frame so that its effect is always constant.

What we therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lathe for turning lasts or the like from blocks to correspond to a model, a first frame, a second frame pivotally connected to said first frame to swing outwardly and inwardly in desired relation thereto, rotatable model and block supporting means carried by said second frame,

driving means to rotate said supporting means carried by said second frame, an electric motor supported on said second frame operatively connected to said second frame, a circuit to said motor including a switch mounted on said first frame, said switch including an arm, a switch control arm pivotally connected to said second frame and slidably supported by said first frame, said switch control arm having portions engageable with said switch arm to open said switch when said second frame is swung outwardly into a predetermined inoperative position'and to close said switch when swung inwardly into a predeterminejd operative position, and abrake shoe supported by said switch control arm to engage with said driving means when said second frame isin said inoperative position.

2. In a lathe for turning lasts or the like from blocks to correspond to a. model, a first frame, a second frame pivotally connected to said first frame to swing outwardly and inwardly in desired relation thereto, rotatable model and block supporting means carried by said second frame, driving means to rotate said supporting means carried by said second frame, an electric motor supported on said second frame, a belted connection between said motor and said driving means, a circuit to said motor including a switch mounted on said first frame including an arm, switch control arm pivotally connected to said second frame and slidably supported by said first frame, said control arm having spaced portions engageable with said switch arm to open and close said switch when said second arm is swung into an outward inoperative position or an inward operative position, and a brake shoe, means carried by said control arm to support said brake shoe in a position to engage with said connection when said second frame is in its inoperative position.

3. The lathe of claim 2 in which the brake shoe supporting means comprises a support slidably anchored to the control arm to permit the relation of the brake shoe to the connection to be adjusted.

4-. The lathe of claim 2 in which the brake shoe is resiliently connected to the brake shoe supporting means.

ALTON D. LANDERS. FRED H. LINDSAY. 

